Sending Lunches to School/Work
life is hard; food doesn't have to be #61 [vol2, 8.3]
My kids started school yesterday. While they ate lunch everyday this summer, there’s something different about taking lunch to school. Below are ideas and some thought grids that I use.
Time *Money *Energy Continuum
In our homeschooling years, especially when there was just one kid, I had more time and energy. I bought large containers of whole milk yogurt and divided it into smaller containers. I popped large batches of popcorn in coconut oil then put it into smaller sandwich bags. Popped fresh, it keeps remarkably well for over a week.
Now I’m prone to buy more packaged snacks. And the kids do the packing (mostly).
Buy the Best of What They Eat the Most
Does your kid eat a lot of xxx? I mean, does he/she always take the same thing? If so, aim to buy the best quality of that food. Do they like fruit snacks? Look to buy the ones made without corn syrup. Pretzels? Buy organic. You get the picture.
My oldest son eats an apple a day. As a result, I buy organic apples.
For years I have waffled back and forth on the kind/quality of bread I buy. And for a season I didn’t buy bread at all (mostly because I think all store-bought bread tastes gross). Plus, most bread available to Americans is highly processed and filled with preservatives and other junk. I’m trying to beat the 67% average. But my children like sandwiches and they’re a very no-brain lunch.
My children also like soft bread (who doesn’t?!) which is usually the cheap, non-nutritive kind. Last year I bought bread that “contained no high fructose corn syrup” and felt OK about it. This year I’ve decided to stick with Dave’s Killer Bread which is organic (not sprayed with gut damaging glyphosate). We like the thin sliced variety. I’ve decided that if they’re eating sandwiches everyday, the bread needs to be the best quality. It is more costly than other brands.
Actually the best quality would be for me to make the bread. Not gonna happen (no time or energy) so Dave’s is great!
Containers
I’ve run the gamut of using disposable and washable. For my oldest, I’ve almost always sent everything disposable. It just works best for his personality (ahem, I don’t get anything back anyway.)
Three years ago, I bought stainless steel Planet Boxes for the youngest. They are pricey but they are well made, easy to wash (dishwasher or by hand), and for the love of all things easy - NO LIDS to keep up with. Our boxes came with 2 containers with leak proof silicone lids that we use on occasion, like for juicy salad or condiments.
The kids like the Planet Boxes for the compartments which help them think about the parts of a lunch. They usually choose a sandwich for the biggest, plus a veg and fruit. There’s a very small compartment for “dessert” which is usually 3-4 chocolate chips, M&Ms or other candy. At home they don’t get sweets for lunch -- but as my daughter says, “It helps me look forward to lunch.”
When my husband was going into the office, I packed his lunch in glass pyrex containers. He’s more careful not to break them. Most of my home food storage is in glass.
Lunch Ideas
When packing lunches, I aim for high protein and high fat. Carbs come easy; those we don’t have to plan. Protein gets us full and fat keeps us full while nourishing the brain.
Did you know once dehydrated, your brain is 50% fat? For clear thinking and proper hormone function our bodies need healthy fats!
Every palate is different and there’s no way I can plan lunches for your family. Google and Pinterest will help with ideas. In no particular order, these things are regulars in our lunches:
Tuna / chicken salad
Nut butter, nuts / trail mix
Hummus
Lunch meat - best quality you can afford
Meat sticks - best quality you can afford
Cheese - slices or sticks
Greek yogurt, full fat
Boiled or deviled eggs, egg salad
Bean / cheese / meat burritos
Olives
More days than not, my kids have a turkey and cheese sandwich, carrots or cucumbers, fresh or dried fruit and probably nuts.
I’d love to see what and how you pack lunch. If you’re on Instagram, tag me. @realfood.littlerock - sometimes I post their lunches in Stories.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be,
Julie
PS - Planet Box has sales occasionally and they’re running one now. I’m not an affiliate, I just like their products. The sleeves/ carrying cases are sold separately. We have 2 different black ones and they’re both great.
PSS - if this letter was an encouragement to you, send it to a friend! I bet they could use the same encouragement.